Research Summaries
Read summaries of scientific articles relevant to invasive species, climate change, ecological transformation, wildfire, biodiversity, and management.
Invasive Annual Grass Relationships to Environment and Grazing Vary with Species Identity
Key topics: Invasive annual grasses • Grazing • Climate • Fire • Sagebrush
Examines how cheatgrass, medusahead, Japanese brome, and ventenata respond differently to environmental conditions, fire history, and grazing pressure.
A Disturbance Triangle: The Interactive Role of Prairie Dogs with Fire and Ungulate Grazing in the Great Plains
Key topics: Prairie dogs • Fire • Grazing • Grasslands
Explores how prairie dogs interact with fire and grazing dynamics in grassland ecosystems.
Biodiversity Loss Reduces Global Terrestrial Carbon Storage
Key topics: Biodiversity • Carbon storage • Ecosystem function
Examines how biodiversity decline affects global terrestrial carbon storage.
Observed and Potential Range Shifts of Native and Nonnative Species with Climate Change
Key topics: Range shifts • Native species • Nonnative species • Climate change
Reviews how climate change is shifting species distributions and invasion risks.
A Science Agenda to Inform Natural Resource Management Decisions in an Era of Ecological Transformation
Key topics: Ecological transformation • Management • Decision-making
Provides a science agenda to help managers respond to ecological transformation.
Vegetation Type Conversion in the US Southwest: Frontline Observations and Management Responses
Key topics: Vegetation conversion • Southwest • Management response
Highlights observed vegetation type conversion and management responses in the Southwest.
Managing for RADical Ecosystem Change: Applying the Resist-Accept-Direct Framework
Key topics: RAD framework • Adaptation • Ecosystem change
Introduces the Resist-Accept-Direct framework for managing rapid ecosystem change.
Assessing the Value of Potential “Native Winners” for Restoration of Cheatgrass-Invaded Habitat
Key topics: Cheatgrass • Restoration • Native species
Evaluates native species that may be useful for restoration in cheatgrass-invaded systems.
Novel Ecosystems in the Anthropocene: A Revision of the Novel Ecosystem Concept for Pragmatic Applications
Key topics: Novel ecosystems • Anthropocene • Management concepts
Revisits the novel ecosystem concept and its practical applications for management.
Invasive Plants as Drivers of Regime Shifts: Identifying High-Priority Invaders that Alter Feedback Relationships
Key topics: Invasive plants • Regime shifts • Feedbacks
Explores how invasive plants can drive regime shifts by altering ecological feedbacks.
Will Climate Change Promote Future Invasions?
Key topics: Climate change • Future invasions • Global change
Synthesizes how climate change may influence future biological invasions.
Transition From Sagebrush Steppe to Annual Grass (Bromus tectorum): Influence on Belowground Carbon and Nitrogen
Key topics: Cheatgrass • Carbon • Nitrogen • Sagebrush steppe
Examines how cheatgrass-driven vegetation transition affects belowground carbon and nitrogen.
Regional Analysis of the Impacts of Climate Change on Cheatgrass Invasion Shows Potential Risk and Opportunity
Key topics: Cheatgrass • Climate change • Invasion risk
Assesses how climate change may alter cheatgrass invasion risk across the western U.S.